The Writer's Block Interviews: Amber Riley

1)     How did you become an author? Describe your journey.

When I was little, I always wrote short stories. It was something I did for fun because I was passionate about it. It wasn’t until I was twenty that I decided to write a full length novel. It took me two years to complete the first draft.I had to bribe myself with every 5,000 words to get it done. I had never written something that long before so it wasn’t easy. I had also never let anyone read my work before because I was afraid. When I finally broke down and let one of my friends read it, they talked me into going somewhere with writing. It took another year of editing before I thought I was ready to publish, but iUniverse disagreed with their editorial evaluation. I took all of their constructive criticism at face value and re-did the novel again. After it was published, I began work on my second novel. It was ten times easier to write a full length novel the second time around, not to mention faster. Remembering all of the ‘tips’ I got with my first novel, it won the Editors Choice Award.


2)     Do you prefer any particular literary genre?

I mainly read fantasy novels. Lately I have been drawn to the teen section. I also enjoy a good historical fiction.



3)     Where do you find your inspiration to write?

My inspiration usually pops up when I’m listening to music. It starts off with a character and the story is built around them later.


4)     Please tell us about your series,the Kindred Blood Trilogy.

The Kindred Blood Trilogy follows Kaden, a vampire over six centuries old. He was once the second highest ranking vampire but fled after discovering the master,Phoenix, had lied to him. In New York, he turned over a new leaf and is trying to live peacefully. In the first novel, The Flash of a Firefly, Phoenix decides that he wants Kaden to return to his side. Kaden doesn’t understand why and fights to remain free. In the second novel, The Well of Truth, he goes to Rome,Italy to find out what the master vampire is really up to. The truth is devastating to the vampire hierarchy. The consequences of it lead to the third novel, The Land of Tears. Kaden goes to Spain, and Phoenix, for a final ending between the two of them. The trilogy is about more than a feud between vampires, though.Love and friendship are both important parts of the novels.

5)     Describe how you chose your publisher(s).

I did a lot of research on self-publishing before I made my decision. I chose iUniverse because of everything they offer. The biggest draw for me was their editing service. As many times as I went through my novels, there were bound to be typos. It was important to me that they were as clean as possible. I also loved that they would design the covers and format the text. Editorial evaluations, 24/7 one-on-one customer service, and the quality of their product have me hooked.


6)     What other projects do you have in the works?

Right now I’m in the very beginning stages of a new YA novel involving demons. With the release of my third Kindred Blood novel, it has moved to the back burner for the moment while the last minutes edits are completed on The Land of Tears. I’m very excited about it, though.



7)     How do you promote your work? What methods have worked best for you?

There are a few different ways I promote. I’ve made novel trailers for each of my novels. I also had bookmarks and postcards printed for my first novel. The blogging world is a great way to get the word out there. I’ve also done press releases in newspapers and written a short story for a charity novel, with proceeds going to help Japan with the Tsunami relief. The way that has worked best for me is speaking at high schools. It’s great to meet with fans and discuss books in general.



8)     What advice would you offer to aspiring authors?

Keep at it! Your talent will improve with everything you write. Also, write a great beginning to get the readers hooked right off the bat.


9)     What is your definition of success as an author?

Simply having my novels in print was a great accomplishment for me. But, I would say that selling just one novel to someone that wasn’t a friend or relative equals success to me. I didn’t become an author to become rich (although that would be nice!) so just sharing my work with people makes me feel like a success.


10) What is next for you in 2012?

My third novel, The Land of Tears, will be out this Spring. After that, I’m planning to move away from vampires with the new YA novel that I am planning. I am hoping to have it finished by winter and, soon after, out to the fans.

Short Bio:



Amber Riley has enjoyed writing short stories since childhood and is happiest with a cat in her lap. Born and raised in Central New York, she is currently living in Germany with her new son and husband, a Seabee with the US Navy.


Links:


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KindredBloodTrilogy

Blog: http://kindredbloodtrilogy.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @ AmberR_Riley

The Writer's Block Interviews: Joanna Lee Doster

Raychelle: Joanna, Thank you for sharing your story with our readers.

Joanna: Thank you, Raychelle, for inviting me to be your guest on The Writer’s Block!

1)      Describe your journey as an author/writer.

Reading and writing has always been in my family’s DNA. My father had thousands of books in our home library so we naturally learned to revere books. My father and brother have written many books, although in different genres from mine. I have written profiles of people in Hollywood and legendary athletes. I also wrote interior design columns and had previously published a non-fiction book with a traditional publisher, Celebrity Bedroom Retreats (Rockport Publishers).

Lately my imagination has taken me on a different journey in the world of fiction, most likely because of a life-long love of mysteries and a desire to tell epic stories. I had these extraordinary characters rolling around in my head and they compelled me to write my first story of fiction. That story became the thriller Maximum Speed: Pushing the Limit.

2)      Do you specialize in any particular genre(s)?

Well, as I mentioned previously, I did publish a book on interior design my other love with a traditional publisher. But now that I am focused on fiction, my genres include mystery/thrillers and action-adventures.

3)      Who are your favorite authors? How do they inspire your work?

I am an avid reader and have a long list of favorite authors. A few of them include: Wilkie Collins, Mary Shelley, The Bronte sisters, Elizabeth George, Erle Stanley Gardner, Dashiell Hammett, Harlan Coben, Michael Connelly, P.D. James, Agatha Christie. Ian Fleming, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the latest crop of fabulously talented indie writers too numerous to mention.

4)      Tell us about your most current project, Maximum Speed: Pushing the Limit. Is it part of a series?

I could have written about something a little less challenging, but I followed where my characters led me. In the case of Maximum Speed, this exciting group of characters was from the world of auto-racing. Now, I’m a big fan of motorsports. I first caught the bug when my husband took me to see a few races. I have been enthralled with the sport ever since. It was a surprise to me, being a city girl more at home with the shops on Fifth Avenue, but I couldn’t deny my alter ego’s desire to become a female racer, daredevil, and stock car racing fulfilled that urge in me.

So Maximum Speed became an adrenaline-charged thriller about three generations of an extraordinary stock car racing family who get caught up in a web of danger when suspicious things begin to happen to their DMS racing team: their twenty-three year old racing champion son is almost killed in a fiery crash and another teammate is brutally kidnapped. Someone or several someones are hell-bent on preventing the Devlin family and their DMS motorsports team from winning their third championship. There are many surprise twists and turns in the story: murder, switching alliances, family intrigue, romance, heroics, sabotage and just plain fun. The characters are multi-layered and tug at your heart strings whether they are good or evil.

People always ask me what happens to them after the book ends and I’m working on the sequel to address those questions. Maximum Speed will be a series. Ultimately, there will be a third book to complete the series.

5)      How did you choose your publisher? Describe that process.

I knew that it would be an easier journey if I published this book with an indie publisher. I had gone through the process before when I helped to publish my father’s book, The Ancient Aztecs with the indie publisher iUniverse, who is now the indie publisher for other family members. Their process is very organized and caters to the authors. The people at iUniverse were always very helpful and dedicated to me and did a great job in bringing my book to fruition.

6)      How do you promote your work? What strategies have been the most successful?

Promoting a book is probably one of the most difficult things to do. I have tried using a publicist and did my best to get reviews in newspapers and other media. The one thing I have learned is, for some reason if your book is not published by a traditional publishing house, book review periodicals tend to ignore you.

So, the next best way to promote your book is through recommendations of word-of-mouth. I have greatly benefited from using social networks such as Facebook and Twitter and thank God for all the other talented indie authors who have been instrumental in helping me get the word out. I was astounded by the reach of social networking! I now have contacts all over the world.

7)      What else have you written/published?

I wrote Celebrity Bedroom Retreats: Professional Designers’ Secrets from 40 Star Bedrooms, an interior design book I published through Rockport Publishers.

8)      What do you plan to accomplish in 2012?

Since Maximum Speed is a natural for a blockbuster feature film or as an episodic television series, or made for TV movie, it is garnering interest in Hollywood where I have representation, and they are actively pursuing those avenues for me this year. I shall continue to write. I have several new stories in the works.

9)      What advice would you give to budding writers?

I would encourage writers to trust their instincts in writing and let their characters live and breathe and let them tell their stories. Just keep on writing. Write first and then edit after. Don’t keep polishing it first…let it flow then you can edit.

10)   What is your definition of success as a writer?

One of the hardest things about writing a book or screenplay or any writing project is to finish it. A successful writer is someone who conceives of an idea and takes it to its completion whether it is a book or some other written form.

Author Bio:

Joanna Lee Doster is a writer and author of the recently published book Maximum Speed: Pushing the Limit. Her previously published work includes Celebrity Bedroom Retreats and a series of nationally syndicated celebrity profiles that also feature legendary sports figures. She has held executive positions in cable television, communications and the entertainment industry. She and her husband live in New York.

Website: http://maximumspeedbook.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/authorjdoster

Blog: http://authorjdoster.tumblr.com/

Facebook:

Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Joanna-Lee-Doster-Author/180302338723812

Book Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maximum-Speed-Pushing-The-Limit/229948400351682

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Speed-Joanna-Lee-Doster/dp/1450293980/ref=tmm_pap_title_0/184-8073313-0183427